Method and apparatus for forming sheet-metal channels



l.. s. LAMB 1,759,349 METHOD AND APPARATUSFR FORMING SHEET METAL CHANNELS I Filed nec. 28, -1927 5 sheets-sheet l 33 Kif/'1 July l, 1930.

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22 035?, ,-Zulzglv- 'l L. S. LAMB Filed Dec. 28, 1927 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FoRMING SHEET METAL CHANELS July l, 1930.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FORFORMING SHEET METAL CHANNELS 271927 5 sheets-sheet 3 l.. s. LAMB Filed D ec. 2 ,L .f5 y

July 1,l 1930;

July '1, 1930# L. s. LAMB 1,769,349l

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET METAL CHANNELS Fi1ednec. 28, 1927 5 sheets-'sheet 4 5:5 6:6 2752910 5.3 64 5,5 .55,

July l, 1930. s. LAMB 1,769,349 I IMETHOD A NDv APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET vMETAL CHANNELS n Filed Dec. 28, 1927 v :5 sheets-sheet 5 im Gum, @,@Lunmlk .77m reg/f Patented July 1, 1930 UNITED STATE-sg PATENT ol-"FICA LAWRENCE s. LAMB. or DETROIT', MIcrIIeAlM. `AssIsNon To HUDSON Moron CAR COMPANY, on nn'rnoim, MICI-IIsAN,A ConronAIfIoN or MICHIGAN Y 'METHOD ANI) APPARATUS lnon ronMINo-e` snnnT-METALCHANNELS Application -filed December 28, 1.927.; Serial No. 243018.

. rEhisl invention relates .tothe shapingv of sheet metal and particularly to the manufacture ofwindow guide 'channels for metal Itis an object of the.

automobile doors.

T invention to'provide a method and. suitable apparatus wherebysheet metal parts of this type may be manufactured in arapid and.

eflicient'manner and in quantity production. Before explaining in. detail the present inm vention, andthe method or mode of. operation embodied therein,-it'is to be understood that the-invention is not limitedin its appli#` cation` Vto".r the detailsI ofl construction and` arrangement of parts illustrated in the alc-y iscompanying d-rawings,.-since the invention is-v capable of other embodiments and of being-l practisedv or carried out in various ways.

Also? it is-.to be. understood that thephraseology orA terminology employed herein 1s for` the purpose of descriptionand not o f limitationtand it is not intended to limit the invention.. beyond the terms of the Vseveral claims hereto appended orv the requirements off the prior art. l

The invention will be more clearly under-Y stood from the following descriptionin con-l junction withy the accompanying,v drawings: iny which,

' Fig. 1f isa plan view of the upperfhalf of an apparatus employed for shaping ai suit'A able blank to channel form .andleave" a flange-extending from one ofA thealegs; v

Fig 21s @plan viewofthelower half-"of end. of the shaping: operations yrespectively Figs.` 5,.,6 and 7 are sectional views taken.

upon. the lines 5-5, 6 6, 7 7,v respectively of Fig. 2.v

- .F1g. 8 is a plan View of the upper halfof the apparatus. forv offsetting they flange eX- tending from one ofthe legs ofthe channel. Fig: 9"is a plan view ofthe. lower half of thisV apparatus. n v l Figs.: 10I and 11 are sectional views taken upon the line 10'-10 of Fig. 9 showingthe relation ofl theparts when the dies are's'epa-v rated to receive the.; work' and' at the begin-V ning of the shaping operationy respectively. A*

Fig. 12 isl a sectional view taken upon the lin'elO-l'() of-1Fig-9 showing the relation ofthe partsrvwhen the work has been oompleted; n

AFigl lis a fragmentarysectional view taken upon theline 134-13 of- Fig. 9.` n

vFig; 1`4fis a fragmentary sectional view taken up'onthek line llt-414', Fig. 9.

Fig. is a plan viewY of ablank.

.Fi'gsflo and 17.` are perspective and side elevational views article; and 1 Y y Fig.V l8r ist afragmentary sectional view showing' 'the assembly vof the.V window guide kchannel of the invention-in a metal autokmobile door.

The invention is particularly directed to the shapi'ngof'sheet metal. blanks to produce windovv guide channelsv for'metal automobile doors ofthe type illustrated inFig.

1S comprising door` pillars 10` to which a sheet. metal` panel 11 is suitably secured. Y A windowv guide channel 12 fis secured to the pillar 10 lby rivetsl passing through a portion of the' pillar and4` throughthe offset respectively of the finishedv flangey 14:' of the guide channel and is reenforcedby brackets 15 securedvr atf one end to thel base" of the channel by rivets 16 and at at theother end to the pillar by rivetsr 17. I Inthe practice ofthe invention a suitable blank l(Fig. l5) is shaped tochannel form in a suitablefapparatus' comprising,y as

illustrated-inFigs. 1` to 7. a base 21 having alhardened wearing block. 22 secured to its top surface in any suitablemanner as by bolts 23. .The block 22 is provided with suitable'elongated'openings 24: positioned above recesses 25 inthebasetoreceive for slidingv engagement therewith vblocks 26.` having s-hould'ers'27 adapted to engage the bottomy surfaceof therblock 22. The blocks 26 -normally are heldagainstjthe bottom surface ofthe blocks 22y by springs 31 extending between the bottom surface lof the blocks 26 and tlie'bottom of the-recesses 25.

A rain 373 ismounted lfor movement towardsand fromv the ba'se'21 and for this purpose is provided with suitable openings provided with a central depending projection 38 to the sides of which suitable wearing blocks or die members 40 are secured inl any suitable manner as by bolts41. vThe lower portion of the die members 40 are shaped to cooperate with the yieldingly mounted blocks 26 and openings 24 to shape the blank to channel form. In the form illustrated, the lower surface of the members 40 are provided'with depending projections 46 .which are adaptedto form depressions 47 (Figs. 16 and 17 in the shaped channel to provide clearance for the heads of the Vrivets 16. Suitable strippers 42 aresecu'red at spaced intervals along the top surface of the base and are adapted to engage a shaped. blank and remove it fromthe die members 40 a-s the ram 33 is raised. Plates 44 are secured at each end of the base as by bolts and are cut away to serve for accurately positioning a blank relative to the openings 24.

When the ram 33 is in .raised position, the k.blanks 20 are placed between the positioning members 44 above the openings 24 in the block 22 or lower die member. The ram 33 isl then lowered to bring the upper die members 40 into engagement with the blanks and push the same against the yielding blocks 26 and into the openings 24 thereby shaping a portion of the blank to channelform vwith a flange 14ay extending from one of the legs ofeach channel. The ram is then raised and if the (articles tend to stick to the die members 40, Vthey will engage the strippers 42 and be removed therefrom.

The flanges 14a are then odset a predetermined amount to form the flanges 14 of the completed guide channel. A suitable apparatus for thispurpose (Figs. 8 to 13) comprises a base 50 having hardened blocks 51 and 52 secured near the edges of the top surface in any suitable manner as by bolts 53. The blocks 51 and 52 constitute lower. die members and are shaped to receive the channel portions of the articles with the flange 14:l 'spaced from a portion thereof. A'

ram 55 is arranged for movement towards and from the base and with this in view is provided with openings 56 to receive guide collars 57 for sliding engagement with guides 58 suitably secured inthe base. Near opposite edges of the ram 55 and directly above the blocks 51 and 52 suitable work engaging members 60 and 61 are movablyj secured by bolts 62 passing through openings 63 provided with shoulders 64 adapted to engage and serve as a stop for the head of the bolts thereby limiting the downward movement of the members 60 and 61. The members 60 and 61 are normally held in extended position by springs 65 extending between recesses 66 and 67 in the ram and blocks respectively. Suitable spaced L-shaped guides 70 are secured to the bottom surfacecof the ram byl bolts 71 andare adapted to engage suitable shoulders 72 upon upper die members 73 and 74 so that the latter may be free for movement relative to the ram in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the latter.` A'suitable block orV cam 75 is secured to the top surface of the base in any suitable Vmanner as by bolts 76 andis adapted to engage the'di'es7 3 and 74 to move the same apart. The out-erV lower portions of the dies 73 and 74 are shaped to engage the flanges 14EL and to bend the same along a line 77 of previous fold and aline 7 3y spaced therefrom. In the form shown, the

dies 73 and V74 are providedfwith projections 79 adapted to form 'depressions 80 in the flanges 14 to provide clearance for bolts5 rivets, or the like.

When the ram 55 is raised, thechannel portion of the blanks are placed in the channel shaped depressions of the blocks 51 or The ram is then moved downward thereby bringing the work engaging mem-l bers 60 or 61 into yielding engagement with the channel portions of the blanks and holding the same iirmly against members 51 or 52. Upon further downward movement of the ram, the innerfsurfaces of the dies 73 and 74 are brought into engagement with the cam 75 and are thereby moved outward. As a result, the .die members 73 and 74 are given a resultant movement inclined with re` spect to the flanges 14a and the legs ofthe channel from which they extend. Thus, the dies 73 and 74 engage the lianges -14a`at points spaced from the legs and while moving in such a directionlirst to bend each flange along the line of previous fold 77. and then press the same against the leg and top surface of the blocks 51 and 52 to form the offset flange 14. What claim is: Y f 1. The method of making an automobile window guide channel which comprises bending a portion of a suitable metal blank to channel form with a flange extending from one of the legs, and without weakening Vthe flange except at its line of fold, bending the iiange along V the line of previous bend, and thereafter bending the flangein the opposite direction along a line Vin the body of said flange spaced from said line of bend previously unweakened.

2. vThe methodk of making an automobile window guide channel which comprises shaping a portion of a suitable sheet metal blank to channel form with a flange extending from one of the legs, and thereafter offsetting theiiange by the application of pressure thereto at a point spaced from said leg soY los

and along a pathinclined to said flange and leg. e

3. In an apparatus for shaping sheet metal previously bent with a flange, the combinaton of a lowerdie for supporting the body of the sheet metal with the flange spaced therefrom, a ram movable towards and from said lower die, a member yieldingly mounted` in said ram adaptedv to engage said body and hold the same against said lower die, an upper die depending from and slidably mounted on the lower surface of said ram y for movement in a direction perpendicular to said ram and adapted to engage said rflange and fold one portion thereof against said body and press another portion against said lower die, and a cam for moving said upper die relative to the ram as the latter moves toward the lower die. v

In testimony whereof I aIX my signature.

LAWRENCE S. LAMB.4 

